Spices 101 – Basil

When my husband and I first started dating, neither of us had any money. So, many of our dates were based around cooking together. We would stop by the library, peruse the cook books, and select a new recipe to try. Next, we would stop by the grocery store to pick up any ingredients that we didn’t already have. Finally, we would stop by one our apartments and cook a (usually) fabulous dinner together. We did have a few fails….and they were epic fails! I’ll tell you about them sometime.

Basil

Fun fact, did you know that basil and tomatoes were lovers? Yup! Not only do they taste amazing together, they actually grow well together. It’s true! If you are planning out your garden for next year, be sure to plant them side by side…they will both thrive!

Anyway, as I said, tomatoes and basil are lovers and it also pairs well with garlic and olives. No wonder we see it used so much in Italian cooking! It can easily be overpowered by other herbs but basil’s flavor is complemented by oregano, rosemary, and sage.

If you have fresh basil, an amazing way to enjoy it is in Pesto. This is a wonderful “sauce” that is made up of fresh pesto, cheese, nuts, garlic, olive oil salt and pepper. However, do not try making pesto with dried basil…it just doesn’t do it!

Basil is one of the few herbs, like tarragon, that goes well with both sweet and savory dishes. Just try some strawberries with fresh basil…yummo! It works well in an infused oil but not as well in vinegars. Basil goes well with cheese, meats, fish, pasta, breads. It also enhances the flavor of many stews and soups, especially tomato soup. If you want to jazz up even the most basic of soup, canned Campbell’s tomato soup, just add a dash of basil and oregano and your soup will to from ho-hum to yum-yum!

When substituting fresh/dried basil in recipes use the following formula;